Lack of Reason
by Utsuro
Summary: Sometimes the smallest things impact a person's life... Sometimes the smallest things will make you react the strongest... And there's no reason. AkuRoku 2-shot
1. Chapter 1

**Lack of Reason**

**Utsuro**

Disclaimer- I don't own kingdom hearts, Axel and Roxas, etc. I'm sure you all know by now D:

A.N. This story doesn't really have much going, I know the plot and hopefully I'll get it done by tomorrow! This will end up a two-shot if everything goes well :3

* * *

Reflecting on it in the future, Axel will still have no idea why he did it. There's no reason...

* * *

It's an average morning for Axel. He wakes up early, as he does every day, to prepare breakfast and watch the news while he eats. Today, nothing interesting is on, so he turns off the television a bit earlier than usual, picks up his bag, and walks out of his house. Walking down the street towards the subway (his preferred method of transportation to get to work), he arrives at the stairs down to the platform. He s, and takes a seat on the bench. He hadn't thought it all the way through, and is beginning to realize that leaving his house earlier simply means he will have to wait longer for the train. This doesn't bother him though, the station is nearly empty at this time of morning. There are a few people in the corner, and some walk around as though they're lost, but no one catches his eye for more than a minute. Deciding it isn't quite worth it to make conversation with the man next to him, Axel pulls out a book he's been reading, and patiently waits for the train.

What feels like moments later, the train pulls up and Axel puts the book in his bag. Slinging it loosely over his shoulder, he makes his way towards the train, but is bumped into by someone behind him as he walks. He doesn't have a good grip on the bag, and it jolts off his shoulder. Skidding a fair distance through the crowd of people attempting to get to the doors of the train, Axel is almost certain that it's fallen off the platform and into the small space between the tracks, the train, and the platform itself. Ignoring the apologies issued by the person who bumped him, Axel follows the direction of his bag. The platform has cleared a bit, and he's surprised to see a boy who looks slightly younger than him standing with one foot rather unceremoniously placed on his bag, stopping it from falling into the previously mentioned space. They stare at each other uncomfortably for a moment, and Axel decides to make the first move by awkwardly gesturing to his bag, still trapped beneath the other's foot. Seeming to catch on, the blond haired boy, reaches down, grabs the bag, and passes it to him. They both continue to stare at each other for a moment, neither really knowing whether or not they should speak (Axel would some time later reflect that no words were exchanged during their meeting). A dull announcement on the speaker informing them that the train would soon depart snaps them both out of the staring contest they seemed to have started somewhere along the line, and the blond waves uncertainly at Axel before running off. Shrugging, Axel throws his bag over his shoulder (making sure it's more secure than the last time), and he walks onto the train. This meeting is forgotten somewhere along the next couple of hours, and Axel continues his day as though nothing happened.

* * *

Their next meeting is purely coincidental, and it's not a oh-i-was-hoping-we'd-meet-again-we-must-be-destined-to-be-together event. Axel, upon waking up, realizes he has no milk for his coffee, and decides to go out for groceries after watching the news. Yet again, nothing extremely important is on, and Axel wonders why exactly he watches the news, but can't quite find an answer. Shrugging it off, Axel rises from the comfortable red sofa in front of the T.V. and puts his coat on. He closes the door and puts his Ipod on, setting it to random and walking to the closest grocery store. When he arrives, he walks through the automatic doors and opts against grabbing a cart, instead deciding to grab the milk and pay. He walks over to the dairy isle and pulls out the same milk he gets every time, and prepares to leave the store, but as he's walking to the cashier an idea caches him and begins nagging him. So, instead of waiting in line, Axel decides to go with his milk he will buy chocolate chip cookies and heads to the cookie isle. Quickly singling out the brand he wants, Axel reaches to grab a box, only to be interrupted by a slender hand reaching towards the same box. The paler hand lands on the box, and although Axel notices this he cant seem to stop his own hand and it lands ontop of the other.

Quickly looking over, Axel sees a blond boy, whom seems to be observing him with a shocked look on his face. A moment later, Axel recognizes the other as the one at the subway, and his eyes widen slightly. Following the pattern of a couple days ago, they both stare, daring the other to move first. Things get awkward again as Axel realizes his hand is still lightly resting on the other, though just as he decides to pull his hand back and grab another box, the blonde quickly retracts his hand and walks back down the isle. The other male is now in the next isle, and for a moment Axel considers going after him to remind him that there wasn't only one box on the shelf, and they could both buy a box, as he had clearly wanted to. Shaking his head, Axel grabs the box and decides that the other was probably planning on grabbing a box after Axel left. After paying, Axel catches another glimpse of the boy waiting for the bus at the parking lot, but he continues walking.

* * *

By the third meeting, they aren't all that surprised to see each other. Axel wakes up in the morning, finding he's woken up an hour earlier than usual. Not bothering to dwell on the fact, Axel lazes in the bed for a moment, then heaves himself onto his feet. Selecting an outfit, Axel goes downstairs and turns on the water heater, along with the television. Still feeling tired, Axel curses his decision to work, as he's more than well off due to his parents death three years prior, leaving Axel with an immense amount of money. He shoves this thought back and refocuses his attention on the the news (as usual) isn't all that interesting, he finds himself watching it for at least half an hour before he turns it off. He stands up and stretches, then walks towards the forgotten coffee maker, quickly throwing the ingredients in a cup, then filling it with hot water and milk. He drinks quickly and throws his cup in the sink, rinsing it quickly. Axel turns around and walks to the door, swinging it open and walking down the steps.

few moments after leaving, Axel mutters a few choice curses as he returns to pick up his bag from the corner of the room. Departing from the house, he makes it to the station without error, and finds that his usual bench is occupied. Axel sighs frustratedly, and begins to pace, before deciding to situate himself against a wall. He doesn't pull his book out again, but observes the room. The station is unusually full for this time of morning, and Axel frowns further at this. By the time the rumbling of the subway hits his ears, the station is almost full, and people are crowding around the area the doors will be. When the subway arrives Axel decides to stand back and wait out the crowd, and to his dismay by the time he gets on there are very few seats left. Spotting two empty seats next to the end, Axel takes the seat closest to the wall in order to distance himself from the man sitting in the next seat over.

A moment passes, and Axel hears a small cough. He looks up and his eyes meet with blue (he was pretty sure they were blue, but he wasn't thinking on it long enough to be certain) eyes, and they exchange a glance that seems to say something along the lines of, "Oh, you again?". The blond then gestures apologetically at the seat next to Axel, and as he peers around, Axel realizes there are no other seats available. He nods, and the blond sits down. Observing the boy next to him, Axel notices the dark area underneath his eyes, and quietly notes that he must not be accustomed to waking up early. Still, the boy clutches a piece of paper in his hand, and every time a stop's name is called out, he glances at it. Axel concludes that the paper describes the location the blond is headed, and turns away. He reaches into his bag and grabs his book again, starting off before the last spot he finished, because he can't exactly remember where he was in the story. A long time passes and many stop names are called, but Axel voids them all out. He has his route memorized, so no sounds reach his ears untill he hears a gentle noise coming from next to him. He turns his head and realizes the blond from before has fallen asleep. This in itself is kind of amusing, but then Axel sighs, remembering countless times he'd fallen asleep and missed his stop. On the other hand, Axel can see how obviously the other male needs sleep. He contemplates both options, before deciding to quietly reach over and pry the piece of paper out of the boy's hands.

Feeling slightly like he's invading the blonde's personal stuff, Axel stares at the paper a moment, before deciding to unfold it anyways. To his relief it's a simple address, reading '11 SkyWay Avenue'. Thinking for a moment, Axel recognizes the address as being about seven blocks from his work, closer to the stop after his own. Making sure he'd read it right, Axel nods to himself on his decision to let the blond sleep, and looked around the subway again. Most of the people had gotten off at the previous stop, and now about five people inhabit the small area. He's about to go back to reading when he feels a weight on his shoulder, and realizes the blond has fallen over and is now leaning on him. Axel considers waking him up, but the boy looks rather comfortable, and his original plan had been to let him sleep, something that would be lost if he woke the other up. Not feeling out of place, but not feeling quite comfortable either, Axel stares out his window for the rest of the ride, listening to the quiet coughs coming from his side. Finally, the name of his stop is called out, and Axel looks over at the blond leaning on him. Though he doesn't quite want to wake him up, he nudges him anyways, and the pair of blue eyes slowly open. He is slow for a moment, but then blinks rapidly and notices he's missing his address paper. Axel grins sheepishly and feels guilty as he hands over the paper and exits quickly so he doesn't have to see the reaction of the other.

* * *

Days pass by, and Axel's forgotten his encounters with the blond again. He gets up as usual, and throws on a random outfit, wobbling down the staircase in tune with his daily ritual. He turns on the water heater, but ignores the television in favor of a bowl of cereal. Pouring some Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a bowl, he goes to grab the milk from the fridge, noticing the remote he had left on the counter. For the sake of amusement Axel turns on the television and he walks back to the table. A commercial on something boring has him about ready to change the channel, when it finally changes to the morning news. They begin explaining the details of a crash on the highway that looks pretty bad, and Axel feels grateful he takes the subway. Munching on his cereal, Axel has just finished pouring a cup of coffee when a new story flashes up on the screen.

"And more on the boy that collapsed in the subway station earlier this morning! After being moved to the Heart Foundation Hospital at 5:30 this morning, he was diagnosed with Rheumatic Heart Disease. No living relatives have been found, and the surgery that needs to occur within the next forty-eight hours seems like it may not happen. Noone knows what will happen to him, as the doctors have released that no matter the situation, without the money there will be no surgery. If you have any connections to someone who may be related to the patient in question, Rox---" Axel turns off his television, and stares at the black screen for a moment. The data seems to process slowly, and Axel can't seem to find where he fits into it. He's only met the blond haired boy three times, and would be perfectly content if he'd simply never see him again, but this... this seems unreal. Numbly, Axel stands up. He reaches over, grabs his bag, and then bolts out the door.

* * *

The hospital doors are completely barricaded when Axel arrives, and a large crowd has formed outside. Axel is running on pure adrenaline, and he pushes people aside as he rushes to the front. Hurdling over the small fence that provided as a defense line against the citizens, he pushes straight on through the automatic doors before anyone can do anything about it. Many nurses and doctors are gathered in the room, along with the secretary, and they all look up as Axel bursts in.

"What are you---" No further questions are asked as Axel fumbles with his ID and manages to display the picture, his wealth is well-known. When he speaks, it's made certain that there is no room for lee-way, failure-not-optional. Though his voice is still shaking, and his breaths are heavy due to running half the way, the sheer **demand **in his statement is obvious, and no one needs further persuasion.

"Save him."

And Axel still doesn't have a reason.

* * *

Please review, it makes my day!! :D And I apologize if it wasn't that well written, first time using the present tense ^^;


	2. Chapter 2

**Lack Of Reason**

**Utsuro**

Disclaimer- Do you really think it'd be called a fan fiction if I owned kingdom hearts? :D if your answer is yes, you're terribly mistaken!

A.N. This chapter is dedicated to Nekotsubasa :D thank you for reviewing! Midterms and stuff have been going on in high school (A.K.A I'm lazy and easily distracted), so the only reason I thought to sit down and write this was her!

--

By nightfall, Axel is pacing up and down the hallways of the hospital, every once and a while stopping to glare at the doors to the surgery room. His only thought is 'What's taking so long!?', and it repeats over and over in his head like a broken record. Finally, the door creeks open ever so slowly, only to reveal a rather nervous looking nurse. Breathing a sigh of relief, Axel asks about the boy's condition, only to be met with another, more nervous glance. Finally, she stutters "There have been some complications, more time is required to asses his... s-status..." before darting back into the room and leaving Axel wide eyed and alone in the hallways. He simply gapes at the door for at least five minutes before banging roughly on the door and demanding to know what's going on. A person who looks like a doctor is at the door in under a minute, staring frustratedly at Axel. The man walks out of what looks like a large white room and allows Axel time to vent his worry and confusion before even attempting to explain the current situation. Only when the red-haired male has calmed down does the doctor use possibly the worst opener for a conversation in all time.

"He had a heart failure during the operation." He states, and Axel is almost certain he himself is going to have a heart failure. For a moment he feels sick, though he quickly gains as much control of his outer emotions as possible in the situation.

"H-he's... Dead?" Axel poses this as a question, though he feels more as though it's a statement. The words hold no hope in them. There is a pause for a moment... Then a shake of the head from the doctor.

"He was revived via defibrillator. This has caused a delay in the process of the surgery." This is the only information the doctor gives before returning to the white room, but it calms Axel significantly. He sighs again and falls into one of the chairs by the far wall, putting his head in his hands.

It's going to be a long night.

--

The next time he sees the blond is under slightly more pleasant circumstances. At 3 in the morning he is woken up by another, more friendly nurse who tells him the surgery was successful, and the boy is being transferred to a hospital room, so if he could please exit the hallway for a moment so they can get the gurney through it would be greatly appreciated. Nodding faintly (as he's still tired) Axel shifts slowly to the door on his right and enters the main lobby. The nurse at the desk (whom he recognizes from earlier) looks up at him in acknowledgement and gestures to the machine across the room. Further inspection reveals that this is the coffee machine, so Axel quickly makes a cup in an attempt to wake himself up as he sits in another of the guest chairs. He can hear the creak of a door, and the sound of wheels squeaking against the floor along with footsteps in the hallway, but he remains seated, uncertain on whether or not he's supposed to be attempting to find the blonde's room yet.

A few minutes later, he hears someone running, and the nurse from before appears in the doorway.

"I'm sorry! I forgot you were-- I mean... You can come to his room now!" She splutters, quite obviously having forgotten Axel was waiting to be called in. Now that he's fully awake, Axel drains the small amount of liquid left in the cup before placing it in a bucket labeled 'All Dirty Dishes Here'. Realizing he's ready to go she walks back into the hall way, setting a reasonable pace so Axel can follow her, which is fortunate due to the maze of halls in the hospital. They enter another section of the hospital that seems quieter than the previous, and the red-head recognizes it as the patent's area. They continue walking until the nurse stops hesitantly at a door and checks her clipboard. After reading it, she smiles embarrasedly and they move down another couple rooms. Finally, they stop at a room with a tidy plate on the front that reads 'Room 213'. She nods at the door and he pushes it open uncertainly, suddenly feeling as though he's not meant to be there. The quiet beep of a heart monitor is the only sound as three doctors flit around the bed, adjusting the sheets, multiple IVs, and anything else that seems as though it may have a problem.

He takes a seat on the couch next to the hospital bed and closes his eyes, just listening to the rhythmic beeping that seems calming in a way until one of the doctors actually takes note of him.

"Ahh.. You would be Axel Akuseru, correct?" At this statement the red-head opens his eyes and nods. He glances towards the bed, and manages a murmur of a question.

"Yeah... How is he?" While he asks this the other two doctors leave the room, finished with their jobs.

"He will most likely be fine, we're only keeping him in for a short period of time to make sure every thing's working as it should. The nurses will come if you press this button," at this the doctor holds up said button, "and that couch can be used as a bed for guests. If you need anything feel free to call the nurses, though please be aware that the food court closes at 10 pm, food cannot be ordered after then. On another note, he should wake up with in the next hour or so." With this all said the doctor leaves quickly, leaving Axel with an unexpected feeling of being alone. He contemplates resting but doesn't want to be asleep when the blue eyed boy wakes, so he pulls a chair over to the bed to observe the blond. His hands clasp together firmly on top of the pristine white sheets, and the beeping continues in the background.

It's another waiting game.

--

"...Nnhh...?" The sky is still dark outside when ocean blue eyes open uncertainly. He carefully scrutinizes the dim white room before his eyes fall upon a flurry of red spikes, and he realizes there's someone sitting next to him. Axel is still watching the blond, and only now seems to really be able to take in the other's features. Their eyes meet and for a moment Axel is reminded of their previous encounters. He stifles a small chuckle at how odd the situation must seem, but the blond simply stares at him, brows furrowed in confusion. There is a long silence between the two before the blue eyed boy speaks softly.

"W-why am I in the hospital?" The quiet words strike Axel, and for a moment he struggles with an answer. He had been expecting something something more along the lines of 'Where am I?', but given the setting, he now guesses it was pretty obvious. The problem here is that in all the fuss Axel has actually forgotten what's wrong with the other, though he's pretty sure a 'I'm not sure' won't suffice for an answer.

"There was something wrong with your heart. I think." Axel explains vaguely, and the boy sighs. His eyes scan the room for some hint of what's going on until they land fixedly on something on the nearby counter.

"Could you pass me that clipboard?" He questions, after noticing he himself is attached to a heart monitor and two IVs, and therefore unable to move. The red-head nods and grabs it, handing it to the blond easily. As he reads, Axel realizes this is the first time they've actually exchanged words. Silence is upon them again and Axel thinks to start another conversation, but doesn't want to interrupt the other's reading. They sit quietly for a few more minutes.

"You're... Axel?" Axel's eyes open up, and upon realizing the question he nods. They both begin know they should probably say something that would start an actual conversation, but at the moment neither can think of the right words. After all, there are very few strangers in their situation. When a moment has passed, Axel begins to laugh unexpectedly, causing the blond to lean over him worriedly.

"Are you ok?" He questions after a minute of non-stop chuckling from the green eyed man. The laughing slowly dies out, and Axel finally makes eye-contact again.

"Yeah... Sorry about that. I just realized that even with all that's been going on, I still don't know your name." This catches the other off guard, and he lets out a small laugh to as he realizes just how utterly odd their situation is. Putting out thousands of dollars to save someone you don't even know the name of?

"It's Roxas." The blond supplies, a small smile on his lips. Axel nods thoughtfully.

"Roxas... Okay! Roxas. Got it memorized!" Axel declares, Roxas staring at him. The red-head grins when he notices the smile on the blond's face, feeling as though they aren't quite strangers now. The silence is more comfortable, and only lifted when Roxas thinks to ask a question.

"What now?" He asks. Axel blinks.

"Huh? What do you mean?" There's only a moment before Roxas answers, looking down at the sheets.

"How long are you going to stay here? There's no way you have nothing better to do than sit in the hospital next to a stranger's bed. Just... How long before we go back to barely knowing eachother again? It can't stay like this for very long..."

"That's not true. I'll stay." Shock is evident as Roxas' head raises quickly, blond hair bouncing slowly. When Roxas can't seem to find a response, Axel starts to take in his features. The light is beginning to shine in through the small window, enough so that he can see Roxas' brilliant blue eyes, and hair that makes Axel want to reach over and touch it, to see if it really is as soft as it looks. The only word Axel can think of that sums up the boy's features is delicate, and he finds himself smiling again at the thought. Roxas still looks confused, and Axel can only guess he's not quite ready to accept his words. Axel, on the other hand, already knows they're completely true. He has nowhere else to be, and it seems like Roxas may not have anywhere else to be either. By his logic, if they both have nowhere to be, why not stay near each other? Besides, maybe something interesting will come from it in the end... The blond finally regains his voice and asks the one question they've both been avoiding since the ordeal started.

"Why did you do it?" _Why did you save me?_

Axel answers as honestly as possible.

"I don't know." The conversation stops there. There's no further explanation to be made, and they both know it.

There is no reason.

--

Weeks later Axel still keeps his promise. He visits Roxas every day after work, and there's not much conversation, but it's gradually increasing. They're getting to know each other slowly, and it pleases Axel that they can now have conversations that don't end the minute they start. Their next truly important exchange is the day before Roxas is set to be released from the hospital, two weeks after he's entered the hospital.

Axel comes into room 213 around noon with lunch for himself and the blond as usual, but is greeted with the rather odd sight of Roxas having a quarrel with one of the nurses. He's sitting on his bed glaring at the nurse when the red-head walks in, and as they both notice him in the doorway the argument ends abruptly. The nurse (whom Axel notices as the one from the day of the surgery, he's seen her around a couple times) mutters an apology towards Roxas before scurrying past Axel into the hospital, leaving him to answer whatever questions Axel may have. Opting to be silent, Axel moves to the side of the bed and wheels over the desk-like table, where he sets down the bag of Chinese food. Reaching forward, Roxas sifts through the bag to grab a plastic tray of ramen. He opens it and has begun eating when he looks up and realizes Axel is simply staring at him. Roxas gestures to the other trays in the bag to let the redhead eat, Axel simply tilts his head to the side slightly and continues watching Roxas.

Slightly unnerved, Roxas finishes off his mouthful before asking, "What?"

"What was that about?" He asks, clearly referring to the incident he had walked in on.

"Oh." A light blush covers Roxas' cheeks and he shakes his head, "It was nothing important." Curiosity piqued, Axel leans closer.

"And what would 'nothing' be?" he persists.

"Not important!" Roxas repeats stubbornly, looking away from Axel. At this point he's worried, and grabs the blonde's shoulder.

"Roxas. They didn't set back your release date, did they?" He asks seriously. Roxas stares at him and confusion overtakes his features for a second, followed by realization.

"Oh! That? No, it's got nothing to do with that!"

After a moment of scrutinizing Roxas' face he sighs, leaning back in his chair.

"Ok, if you're sure. Then, what was it about?" He questions.

"Like I said, nothing!" The blond replies. He closes his eyes for a second, and when he opens them Axel is leaning uncomfortably close to him.

"So, no matter how much I ask you're not going to tell me what happened, are you?" Axel asks. Roxas just nods his head. Another sigh.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you alone about it for now." The redhead states and Roxas feels relieved. That is, until he hears another louder, more persistent beep raising above that of his heart monitor. He looks around warily at his surroundings, and notices Axel's grin. Another quick look around reveals that by leaning over Roxas, Axel has grabbed the nurse-call button. His heart rate increases as he figures out exactly what's happened, and he lets out a gasp.

"Axel!!" Roxas cries, but it does nothing to subside the loud beeping or Axel's growing grin.

"Hey, I said I wouldn't ask **you**." He reminds, and before Roxas can retort there is a small knock at the door. Even after Axel calls for the nurse to enter there is a moment of silence, although the nurse is contemplating whether or not she actually wants to enter the room. The hesitation is over and the door is pushed open lightly by the same from before. She pulls at the edge of her shirt, clearly feeling awkward due to both pairs of eyes on her.

Axel is the first to speak.

"So, care to tell me what Blondie's problem is?" He asks. The nurse spares a glance at Roxas and quickly looks away when she notices his glare.

"I-I'm sure Roxas will tell you if h-he thinks it's important for you to... know..." She stutters.

"Well, the problem here is that he **won't**tell me what's wrong. And it's obviously important enough for him to argue with a nurse over, so..." Axel's sentence veers off, as though he expects she already knows how it ends (which she most likely does). Caught between Roxas' 'don't-you-dare-tell' glare and Axel's 'You'd-better-tell-me-right-now-or-sleep-with-one-eye-open-for-the-rest-of-your-life' glare, she chooses the option that seems as though it will less likely end up with her being potentially injured. She breathes in deeply before beginning to speak.

"Roxas wanted to go out and see the flower garden situated at the back of the hospital." She informs Axel quietly, and all of a sudden all eyes are on Roxas. His cheeks turning a bright pink and heart monitor quite obviously speeding up, Roxas does the first thing he thinks of.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He huffs, crossing his arms and turning his head away from them so he doesn't need to make eye chuckles lightly, and turns to the nurse again.

"While this is really interesting and all, why exactly was it a problem?" He asks. The nurse, feeling more confident now, replies quickly.

"As you've seen, Roxas' physical state isn't quite stable enough for him to walk down to the garden." Axel nodded, remembering the numerous times he'd walked in to find Roxas sitting on the floor due to a failed attempt at walking. He was told due to the stress on his heart the rest of his limbs wouldn't function fully properly for at least a month. "This normally wouldn't be a problem, but the hospital decided to hold a trip for the children in one of the more permanent units, and most of those children can't walk. They've taken most of the weel chairs, and the others are either currently in use or being fixed. Short of a gurney, there's no way to bring him down." She explains, nodding when she can't think of anything else that needs to be added. Another short laugh from Axel has Roxas turning to face him.

"Really? That's the whole problem?" A nod of confirmation from the nurse. Axel now stands up, and Roxas isn't quite sure what's going to happen. Then, before he has a chance to process what's happening Axel's moving and there's a flurry of white sheets. The next thing he's able to fully comprehend is that Axel's carrying him. **Bridal-style**.

"H-Hey!!!! Axel!!!! Put me down **now**!!!!" Roxas cries, futily pushing at Axel's chest. Axel grins, and steps a couple feet away from the bed. Then, to Roxas' surprise, Axel actually does put him down. For a moment, he's standing on his own, albeit shakily. Unfortunately, the moment he feels secure enough to rub it in Axel's face his legs unexpectedly give out underneath him. Forced to reach out for the nearest support, Roxas grabs on to... Damn it. He's forced to cling to Axel to sturdy himself, and when his legs fail to right themselves he has to lean on Axel completely. Blush doubling on his face, Roxas presses his face to Axel's chest and waits frustratedly to be picked up again. It isn't long before Roxas is swept into Axel's arms again, the redhead satisfied with making his point. The nurse is still in the doorway, watching with a gentle smile on her lips. Roxas refuses to speak again until they've reached the door, at which point a sharp 'Ow!!' is uttered.

Axel looks down at Roxas and immediately notices the problem. The blonde's arms are crossed, one hand lying tenderly on either IV, eyes clenched shut. Both IVs are attached to the machine next to the bed, which had been rolling and following them accompanyingly until the lock that held the machine to the wall disallowed for further movement. Furthermore, there are also small tubes sneaking out from both sleeves and the bottom of his hospital shirt, all leading to the wildly beeping heart monitor. Axel quietly asks a few questions to the nurse, and then Roxas is set down on the bed gently. The heart monitor sensors placed on his chest are removed, and the tubes of the IVs disconnected. Finally free of all connections to the machines, Roxas is lifted back into Axel's arms, and he walks out of the room, lunch forgotten on the table.

--

In what seems like an instant they're out in the garden. An amazing variety of flowers and trees surround them, a few small benches in the center of the chaos. A gentle breeze flutters by, ruffling their hair and clothes lightly, and for some reason making the place seem more magical than it appears. Axel is impressed. For being such a small added feature to the hospital it seems as though a lot of work has been put into it, like if one stared long enough fairies may appear and begin dancing. Even without magic the place is full of life, butterflies alighting from one flower to the next, birds nesting in the trees, and the occasional sound of an animal underneath the bushes.

Roxas, in contrast to his previous denial, seems to be thoroughly enjoying the scenery. He smiles happily, and for once relaxes in Axel's grip. Axel walks them both over to the bench, placing Roxas down first, then taking a seat next to him.

"So, you're going home tomorrow, right?" Axel poses this as a question, though he already knows the answer. Roxas however, takes a moment to answer.

"Home?... Yeah, I think so." Is the uncertain reply, and Axel looks over.

"You... Think so?" Axel asks, feeling rather confused. He observes Roxas' iridescent blue eyes, cast downward as the blond folded his hands in his lap.

"Yeah. It's just..." The moment his eyes reach Axel they widen, and his sentence ends abruptly. "Yes, I'm going home tomorrow." Unsatisfied with the change in answers, Axel turns Roxas to face him.

"It's just what, Roxas?" He asks forcefully. Roxas blinks slowly, then answers, "Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"Roxas, that's not helpful. You could get hit by a train, and so long as you were alive you'd tell me it was nothing. Can I have some actual answers here?"

A pause, then, "It doesn't concern you. Besides, I'm sure it's something you already know anyways. By now the whole town does." At this point the blond leans back, and Axel realizes he's leaned closer to look Roxas in the eye. Axel looks away, and releases Roxas, allowing everything to get quiet again. He would generally just ask Roxas until he caved and talked, but it disturbs him that Roxas seems to think he should already know what's wrong, and makes him feel as though he's failed Roxas somehow. _The whole town?_Axel wonders. There wasn't much written about Roxas in the news since the actual incident, though there had definitely been a lot of attention on Axel at the time. The news... The thought suddenly brought Axel's thoughts back to the news that had started it all.

_"And more on the boy that collapsed in the subway station earlier this morning! After being moved to the Heart Foundation Hospital at 5:30 this morning, he was diagnosed with Rheumatic Heart Disease. No living relatives have been found, and the surgery that needs to occur within the next forty-eight hours seems like it may not happen. No one knows what will happen to him, as the doctors have released that no matter the situation, without the money there will be no surgery. If you have any connections to someone who may be related to the patient in question, Rox---" _Something in the newscast finally catches Axel's attention, and he looks over at Roxas. He's not sure if it's the problem Roxas is worried about, but it definitely matters.

"Roxas?" There is a hesitant nod on the blonde's behalf, so Axel continues. "Where exactly are you going tomorrow?" Roxas stares at him now, a confused expression on his face.

"Ehh? My house?" Roxas replies. Axel nods.

"And how are you getting there?"

"...By... Bus? I don't see where you're going with this."

"So no one's picking you up?" For a moment there's hesitation, all the prompting Axel needs to know he's on the right track.

"No. Axel..."

"Roxas, who's going to take care of you when you go home?" Silence follows the question, Roxas looks away.

"Me. I've always taken care of myself before, and I can do it now." Axel stares at Roxas incredulously for a second, as though gaging whether or not the blue eyed by is serious. When Axel has waited for more than a minute and Roxas hasn't made any attempts to edit his answer, He wraps his arm around the blonde's waist and pulls their bodies close, glaring into the clear blue eyes that look back at him.

"**No**." Shock is obvious on Roxas' face when Axel's voice reaches him. There's no joking in his voice, he's completely serious. None the less, Roxas attempts to resist.

"Axel! Don't be unreasonable!" He states, though he knows any words he says are lost on the other at this point.

"Roxas, **you** don't be unreasonable. There's no way you're actually expecting me to sit back and let you live in a house where there's no one to help you, even though you can't walk on your own? Are you trying to kill me with worry?"

"Of course I'm not! You had a life before you met me, go back to that! You have no right to decide whether or not I can go back home!" Roxas struggles to release himself from Axel, but to no avail. The redhead doesn't seem keen on the idea of letting Roxas go any time soon.

"Roxas, you don't understand!" he growls frustratedly, "my life before I met you doesn't **matter** anymore! Do you have any idea how I'd feel if I found out you had a heart attack in your home and died because there was no one there to save you?"

"I don't need someone to save me..." The protest is half-hearted, and Axel can see Roxas is running out of the energy to continue struggling. The redhead's next response is much quieter as the frustration has mostly vented out, leaving and exhausted worry in its place.

"Yes, you do." These words are spoken lightly.

"..." The next words, spoken in only a whisper, are what cause Roxas to cave in.

"Roxas... Do you really want to be alone?" For a second time seems to stand still, and then Roxas' body is trembling against his own.

"N-no... No! I want to stay near you, but I-"

"Then stay." The argument seems to have taken up most of Roxas' energy, and he collapses onto Axel's chest, hands holding tightly onto the material of his shirt. Somewhere along the line Roxas begins crying, though he's not sure of the exact reason. They stay like that for a long time, until Roxas' sobs die out and Axel realizes the blond has fallen asleep. Smiling softly, he picks Roxas up again, and walks back into the building.

--

The next day when Axel arrives at the hospital Roxas is waiting at the door with a small bag filled with a few choice items and his pill prescription. A light blush covers the blonde's cheeks when Axel's red spikes come into view, and he waves shyly. He's in a wheelchair at the moment, though the doctor assumes he'll only need it for another week at most. Smiling, Axel ruffles the blonde's hair, and they walk away from the hospital and towards the subway station. It isn't hectic today and Axel is grateful. The train arrives quickly, so Axel rolls the wheelchair through the doors before any of the other passengers, seating Roxas then folding the wheelchair in half. They both sit quietly as the train moves, listening quietly to the names of the stations that are called out. The compartment is pretty much empty and Axel is almost asleep when he hears Roxas.

"Hey, Axel!" The redhead turns to see the blond, and is surprised to see the bright blue eyes so close to his own. Then, their lips are pressed together lightly.

Axel is beginning to think he might just know the reason.

--

Wow this took a long time to finish ^^; it's 2:44 a.m., so I'm gonna go to sleep now! A side note is that I actually have no idea what the actual symptoms/recovery/etc. of the heart sickness mentioned, so if this offends you in some way, shape or form I'm really sorry! Another is that half of these events probably couldn't happen in an actual hospital, but oh well! Any hospital stuff in here would only be written with my own experience, which had nothing to do with the heart illness unit ^^;

Anyways, please read and review! It makes me happy :D

-Utsuro


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